Cannibal gets life sentence for eating Grindr date

Mark Latunski, 53, pleaded guilty in September for the butchery for Kevin Bacon, a 25-year-old hairdresser whom he met on the gay dating app Grindr.

Shiawassee County Judge Matthew Stewart handed Latunski the life sentence without the possibility of parole, after determining in October that the horrific slaughter was premeditated first-degree murder.

An additional 11-month sentence will be served concurrently for the disinterment and mutilation of a dead body.

The body of Bacon was found hanging upside down from the ceiling of Latunki’s basement, his ankles tied to the rafters, his throat slit, and with various body parts removed.

Latunki confessed to stabbing Bacon in the back, after which he removed and consumed parts of his body. He told investigators that he cut off and ate his testicles, and that he had considered purchasing a dehydrator so he could make jerky out of his muscles.

The two men connected on Grindr and arranged to meet on Christmas Eve, 2019. Latunki then lured Bacon to his home, where the bloodshed began.

Family reported Bacon missing after he didn't show up for breakfast on Christmas morning. Investigators were able to track his last location to Latunski's home after finding his car parked in the parking lot of a dollar store.

Latunski had initially pleaded not guilty with an insanity defence, but then less than a month before his trial was set to begin, and against the recommendation of his attorney, he changed his plea.

The judge was given the authority to determine whether to hand down a first-degree or second-degree murder conviction, ultimately determining that the premeditated slaughter warranted a first-degree murder charge.